EliteXC's Jake Shields and Nick Thompson flying under the radar

EliteXC's Jake Shields and Nick Thompson flying under the radar

One week after the most action-packed weekend of mixed martial arts the world has ever seen, “EliteXC: Unfinished Business” is receiving noticeably less fanfare than the organization’s first CBS broadcast.

Perhaps lost among the Affliction vs. UFC post-fight debates that have carried well into this week is the surprisingly well-stocked card that EliteXC has assembled for Saturday night.

Among those bouts that could steal the show from the main-event rematch of middleweight champion Robbie Lawler and Scott Smith is a match-up between two World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts (WAMMA) top-10-ranked welterweight fighters, Jake Shields (20-4-1) and Nick Thompson (36-9-1), for EliteXC’s first-ever 170-pound title.

The bout will represent one of the few meaningful match-ups available in the welterweight division outside the UFC. In fact, it is arguably one of the most significant 170-pound bouts ever contested outside the octagon.

Shields, currently ranked third by WAMMA, will bring a nine-fight winning streak into Saturday night. A nine-year veteran of the sport, the California native has fought all over the world and trains extensively with the Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu camp.

Despite competing outside the UFC, Shields has compiled an impressive list of victories in earning his top-10 ranking. Shields first rose to prominence in 2003 with decision wins over Hayato “Mach” Sakurai and Akira Kikuchi while fighting for Shooto.

The break-out moment for the 29-year-old came in 2006, when Shields defeated both Carlos Condit and Yushin Okami in one evening to earn the Hawaii-based Rumble on the Rock’s world 175-pound title. Since that night, Shields has won an additional five bouts, including four straight first-round finishes, to earn this title opportunity.

Thompson cracked the WAMMA top-10 list last week for the first time. One of the most active fighters in MMA, “The Goat” has already competed in 46 bouts in just five years of professional fighting.

The 27-year-old had his shot at the big time before, earning a win over Keith Wisniewski at UFC 56. Five months later, at UFC 59, Thompson submitted to strikes from Karo Parisyan — and then parted ways with the organization.

Since that bout, Thompson has reeled off 12 consecutive victories, with only one bout going the full 15 minutes. While Thompson’s record is spotted with several has-beens and never-will-bes, the Minnesota Mixed Martial Arts-trained fighter did earn several impressive wins in the now-defunct BodogFIGHT en route to becoming that organization’s welterweight title-holder.

A submission over UFC veteran Ansar Chalangov, as well as TKO wins over Eddie Alvarez and Mark Weir, earned Thompson a spot in the upstart World Victory Road’s Sengoku promotion in Japan earlier this year.

For Thompson, a win over Shields would prove his often-contested position in the world rankings as a legitimate contender.

For Shields, the victory is necessary to justify his lofty ranking despite the inability to test himself against the division’s elite due to competing outside the UFC.

EliteXC officials have all but conceded that this weekend’s Stockton, Calif. show will pale in comparison to its New Jersey predecessor. But for MMA fans, the card — and the Shields vs. Thompson fight in particular — should be required viewing.

Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson will be limited to signing autographs. The WWE-style promotion has been toned down in order to focus more on the actual MMA product.

And in arguably the most talent-rich division in the sport, two top-ranked fighters will battle it out on free, network television for a scheduled five rounds to determine a new champion. Catch your breath; the recent MMA frenzy hasn’t stopped just yet.

ALBANY, N.Y. – MMAjunkie is on scene and reporting live from today’s UFC Fight Night 102 event at Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y., which kicks off at 5:45 p.m. ET (2:45 p.m. PT). You can discuss the event here.

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